


Remnant of a Song

by GhostlyShip



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Overwatch, Attempted Suicide, Depression, Dragon Hanzo Shimada, He's fine I promise, Merman Dragons, Merman Hanzo, Multi, Near Death Experiences, Near Drowning, Other, Soulmates, jesse has issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-11 18:40:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15978152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostlyShip/pseuds/GhostlyShip
Summary: Life is a fickle thing, it begins within a single second were life and death coincide for a moment together, neither fully alive or fully lost to the tides. At this moment life and death both happen, diverging where one life begins and another ends. But within this moment, suspended in time, there is nothing and everything at the same time. Despite all of this life is fragile, struggling to survive within the harsh constraints it’s given, but born within the ashes of death, life will always find a way.-When Jesse McCree stepped off the edge of a cliff into the ocean he expected his life to end in a drunken haze, yet fate has different plans for him. Coming face to face with a mysterious creature of legend that he wasn't sure even existed, his life takes an unexpected turn.





	1. When all else fails...find hope

**Author's Note:**

> _Before you I stood lonely  
>  Cast upon the sea  
> Lost within my tangled thoughts  
> Of how this life should be  
>  _
> 
> _Drawn to the dark side  
>  Where a man can meet his shame  
> Aching for the change he seeks  
> Not accepting of the blame_
> 
> _Destroying hope within myself  
>  Losing all my pride  
> Drowning in the liquors tide  
> Whose waves I can't subside_
> 
> _Calling out on others  
>  To help me ease the pain  
> If one night was not enough  
> I'd do it all again  
> \- “Lifes Endless Shore” _M.P. Shaudd.
> 
> This originally was a short story I had to do in class based off this poem, but when I came across it in my files it took an unexpected turn towards a fandom I've been delving into as of lately.

_Life is a fickle thing, it begins within a single second were life and death coincide for a moment together, neither fully alive or fully lost to the tides. At this moment life and death both happen, diverging where one life begins and another ends. But within this moment, suspended in time, there is nothing and everything at the same time. Despite all of this life is fragile, struggling to survive within the harsh constraints it’s given, but born within the ashes of death, life will always find a way._

 

One of the oddest sensations Jesse has ever had, sober or intoxicated, is to look over the edge of the abyss and wonder what is down there. To wonder what would happen in that fleeting moment of suspension. Would anything really happen, or would there be pure emptiness waiting for him at the bottom? Would life have any meeting at that moment, or would it be meaningless? Would anyone remember Jesse McCree, or miss the life that was lost, or would he just be another nameless face lost to the tides, forgotten. A single misstep is all it would take to find out.

_Despair tears at his mind like a rabid dog._

A loud roaring noise drowned out any other sounds within the surrounding area, blocking out the drunken thoughts bouncing around within his head. Whether the sound was from the ocean’s waves hitting the rocks below or the booze making everything fuzzy and distorted, the answer wasn’t really clear, it could be one or the other, hell it could be both. He wouldn’t be surprised either way.

_Loneliness becomes unbearable at the end of the day._

With each shaky step towards the cliffside the world seemed to fade away, leaving only a calm numbness in its wake. The ocean looked so peaceful, calm even at that moment with the moon casting a soft glow on the water’s surface, despite the choppy waves hitting the rock face below. Something wet touched his skin, an unshed tear finally falling or the first raindrop from the oncoming storm? It didn’t matter which one it was in the end. But the question plagued him, why the hell would he be crying? He had finally found the courage at the bottom of a bottle, in a moment the weight of the world would no longer rest on his shoulders like a ten-ton brick. No longer would he have to deal with the grief and depression that made each and every day feel like a goddamn chore, causing him to drag his feet just to get through the day without breaking down. He wouldn’t have to deal with those bad thoughts spiraling out of control that even his good old friend bourbon couldn’t drown out. His hands would finally be wiped clean of all the blood staining his skin, brought on by bad decisions and the cruelty of the world.

He couldn’t understand the tears, he was _happy_ , he was going to be _free_.

….right?

_Desperation drives even the best people to do the unthinkable._

A single step and the jarring sensation of emptiness was all it took before his body plummeted towards the inky dark water below like a sack of bricks. The wind pulled at his hair, tugging his signature hat off, taking it somewhere else. A cold chill brought on by the sea bit at his skin, seeping through even the various layers of his clothing, even the well-loved red serape didn’t protect him from the icy sea spray. The abyss below seemed to open up like the jaws of a predator, ready to swallow him whole the closer he fell to it, eager to snuff out every last trace of life within him. Both a threat and a promise.

Finally reaching the ocean's surface the impact of his body hitting the water was hard enough to knock the breath out of him. The shock of hitting the water mixed with the freezing temperature paralyzing him, sobering him up within seconds of the sensation. The fear of the unknown was quick to make an appearance, overtaking the eerie calmness from moments ago. Every bad horror movie depicting hungry, murderous creatures that lurked far below the sea’s surface came to mind. Yet despite all of this, the world still looked beautiful in its own way. Above him, the moon still shone brightly, even as dark clouds surrounded it, a good indicator of the oncoming storm.

Quickly the moonlight overhead began to fade, growing increasingly dim as he sunk further down into the abyss. His body started to fight for air as he ran out of oxygen, ice cold water filling his lungs, suffocating him, drowning him as the cold sapped away at the remaining strength he had. It reminded him of another time in his life when he felt hopeless, after all, it was the main driving forces of why he was in this predicament.

Deadlock, the gang took everything from him, his innocence, drove away his family, and in the end, took away his will to live. Hell, it _became_ his life and in return he became a leashed dog, a mutt only used for its skill. Used to guard supply runs and kill any unlucky soul unfortunate to make themselves a target. For a while, it didn’t bother him. In his naive youth, Deadlock gave him structure, they took him in when he had nothing good left in his life, just another soul full of anger at how unfair the world was, impressionable to a fault. They gave him a gun and directed him to a target, at that moment they gave him purpose even if it was misdirected. It wasn’t until years later when he was wiser and older that the eyes of those poor innocent lives he took started to matter, started to eat away at his subconscious, haunting him every waking moment and following him into his sleep. For the longest part, he just wished someone had come along and shaken sense into his younger self, if only.

Tears flowed into the surrounding water as he gripped his throat, pain blossoming with every passing second. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be, this was supposed to be a peaceful end, to slip away under the water and to be forgotten as the tide took him far away, to places even he couldn’t dream of in even his wildest dreams.

….then why did he want to survive?

His feet kicked out at unseen foes trying to escape this underwater prison, fingers tearing at the serape that only seemed to further choke him. Fuck this, he could still fight, he could still escape Deadlocks grasp, he could...what keep living this empty existence? He just wanted to be happy, to matter in some small way, to be a part of something good in this world.

Through the water he spotted something approaching before darkness overtook his vision, eyes falling closed. In that brief moment, the distant figure reminded him of the jellyfish he used to spend hours water, back when he’d sneak into the aquarium late at night. Before shit hit the fan in his life, complicating everything, changing him.

 _“Oh weary traveler whose heart is heavy…_ _  
_ _sinking further to the ocean’s floor”_

A soft melody reached his ears, cutting through the thick fog overtaking his mind due to the lack of air. Jesse couldn’t really understand what he was hearing, it just sounded like wordless music sung to a tune he couldn’t quite hear. It sounded...really nice actually, like something his momma would sing to him as a boy when he was scared of the thunderstorms. It calmed the fears he had in those last few minutes as he continued to sink. If an angel had found him, that was quite alright with him. It would be nice for someone to take care of him instead of the other way around for once.

 _“Let the waves wash you away_  
_the dragon consuming your fears_ _  
_ in return for something entirely new...”

Jesse didn’t even notice a silky touch wrap around his body, curling and coiling like some unseen serpent. Hugging him close like a warm blanket as hands dragged him further down into the water, deeper into the waiting darkness below. He slipped closer into that dreamless sleep he had sought desperately earlier. The gentle rocking of the waves lulled him to sleep as he finally gave in to whatever waited for him, he didn’t care what happened anymore.

For once, Jesse McCree was truly at peace, if that's what dying meant, he only wished he had done it sooner.

_In the end, nothing mattered._

  
  



	2. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo's point of view.

_Memories, recollections of the past the defining points in and throughout life, what gives meaning to the soul. Vague glimpses of a past from centuries ago, forlorn faces plagued with grief and sadness, the quick flash of a dazzling smile that caught the eye of a passing figure, whispers and murmurs of those who have long been forgotten within time, the reason to live. Without memories, what purpose does life have besides chasing after what is lost? A wandering soul fighting to reach for something that just out of reach, the name of a loved one on the tip of the tongue, wondering why someone looks so familiar yet makes everything ache when they approach. Without memory of who you were, how can you decide who you are?_ _Just how far would you go to catch a glimpse of what was lost to the tides?_

 

A lone creature swam along the ocean’s surface, moonlight bathed the blue and gold scales in an eerie pale glow, illuminating them within the dark waters. A sharp contrast to the large, imposing predatory shadow the figure cast into the darkness below. The siren drew the attention of every creature within the vicinity, there were those who could only watch with bated breath in hope that he didn’t catch sight of them hiding just out of sight, some were purely envious of the power within his body that could easily crush anything in his way, and others could only follow at a distance in hope of catching any scraps he left from the unfortunate souls who got caught within his path. Watching and waiting like vultures. It didn’t matter to him, nothing would dare grow close to him for fear of the destruction left in his wake, none stood a chance again him.

Storm clouds grew darker overhead, covering the stars and snuffing out the lights as they grew closer to the moon. Even before the first clouds began forming along the edges of the horizon, Hazno could feel the growing storm in his bones. The first glimpse of that powerful static charge never ceased to rouse him from his deep slumber, driving him out of his lair deep within the oceans dark depths. There was no fear when leaving his treasures behind unguarded, no one would dare approach the trenches, nor would they ever find their way through the twisting tunnels that lead deep into the unknown where he kept his nest. The storm exhilarated him, each crack of thunder and spark of lightning that shot across the sky resonated within his soul, within the part where the great sea dragon spirits resided. They coiled restlessly, clawing at the mental barriers he had put up as to not lose control of his body, the spirits thrived off of the power and it only seemed to increase their appetite, demanded to be heard and have their hunger sated.

Swimming further through the ocean Hanzo began the long trek across the sea in search of prey, anything would do at this point. His territory was vast, spanning many leagues in every which direction, from the darkest depths of the ocean where none dare tread to the rocky crags and sandy beaches of the mortal world. It had to be large in order to accommodate a dragon, both with the means of food as well as to sate the demand for _more_ , and of course, account for just the sheer _size_ of a dragon. Due to the dragon souls he was bound to, his body was capable of shifting between forms in order to fulfill the demands of the sea gods that inhabited his body. His body could take on the form he was gifted by the bond he had with the spirits, a powerful serpentine figure of legend, capable of devouring ships whole and assaulting the very heavens among the clouds, as well as his normal siren body, which was still deadly despite being monumentally smaller. Sleek and regal with his long slender tail, able to lure even the strongest willed humans to their death with just a whisper from his voice, able to tear into creatures big and small with his claws.

He was _power,_ he was _fear._

Those that resided within his part of the sea knew to keep out of sight and far away from deep waters during a thunderstorm lest they fall victim to his waiting maw and sharp claws, even the mighty sharks that patrolled these waters knew to give him a wide berth, although sometimes he would permit them to swim with him when he was feeling especially generous. The hunger caused by the duel dragon souls sharing his body was seemingly endless during a storm, causing him to tear into everything within sight, feasting. Here within his domain, everything belonged to him, any trinkets that fell into the ocean became his to hoard and hide away, any life forms that dared reside within the vicinity of his home, supernatural or otherwise were his to destroy and to protect from mortals prying eyes that would otherwise threaten their existence.

Hanzo drew closer to the coast, traveling further and further away from his home towards the very far reaches of his realm. Something had captured the dragon’s attention in a way even he couldn’t understand, urging him to go _somewhere,_ where that was he wasn’t sure. This was an instinctual thing so deeply ingrained within his soul, or souls that it felt almost unnatural when compared to everything else Hanzo had dealt with before. His warm-blooded brother would just laugh and tell him it was fate or destiny that drew him westward. What a foolish thought, a dragon bowed to no one and nothing they were _sea gods_ , he didn’t abide by a notion that was already predestined.

He carved his own path in life.

Powerful fins propelled his body along the currents towards whatever predetermined location his companions were driving him towards, traveling just below the ocean’s surface, close enough to where the howling winds and distant crack of thunder could be heard. Racing through the sea as fast as his tail could take him he simply took a moment to enjoy the storm’s presence, it was going to be a particularly nasty one this time of the year and it was going to be _glorious_.

 _A whisper among the silence,_  
_a strangled plea for help within the darkness._  
_Another lost soul searching for kinship._ _  
_ I don’t want to die.

Finally arriving at one of the various cliff sides that dotted the edge of his territory to the west did the dragons seem to calm. His eyes scanned the water in search of whatever had brought him here against his will. Why was he summoned here? The faint pull of emotion tugged at his soul - there! Movement caught his attention along the edge of his peripheral vision, slitted eyes honing in on said movement with the ease only an experienced predator could master. Through the darkness there was a body, struggling underneath the water's surface, sinking deeper towards the bottom of the ocean. The mean was fighting for air as instinct took over his body, fighting to survive and escape this watery grave. Mortals could be as foolish as his brother at times, if not more so when they did stupid things like this one here. After centuries did they still not understand they needed air to breathe? Or was this one stupid enough- correction, drunk enough to get close to the edge of the cliff and fell over it, falling down into his domain.

….or did he jump?

 _Why wasn’t anyone willing save me._  
_Why didn’t anyone notice the pain?_ _  
_ Why didn’t anyone care…?

Hanzo reeled back, the sheer amount of emotion and desperation radiating off the man was nearly overpowering, it was almost too much for him. Yet that instinctual pull to _take_ lingered despite this.

The sea was a cruel mistress, those who were deemed worthy of her _gift_ first had to endure a great deal of suffering, mentally and physically in order to withstand the sirens curse. When faced with death at her hands, the soul had to make a choice if it wanted a new beginning as one of her children. Give up what made the soul so very precious, memories of the past and present and start a new life with a blank slate never knowing who you were, or succumb to the oceans hunger. Without memories of what it meant to be human, souls became a beacon within the darkens, sirens were instinctively drawn to pain and suffering, or to strong emotion in general, they would sometimes even go as far as drawing men to their deaths just in order to get a taste of what it meant to be alive, by stealing the memories of whoever fell victim to the water. Sometimes the drowned would become sirens, creating another lost soul craving for the memories that were stolen.

The dragons particularly thrived off of knowledge, even after having accumulated vast amounts of stories and memories throughout the ages with their hosts’ help, they continued to relentlessly search for lost souls for more knowledge.

 _Please...someone, anyone help me._  
_I don’t want to die alone._ _  
_ I want to live.

He drew closer to the human’s body, his eyes never leaving the scene as the last of its air bubbled to the surface, slowly growing still as the ocean took hold of the _cowboy -_ Hanzo was momentarily repulsed at the hideous outfit, cringing at the possibilities. But memories were memories no matter what they contained. He reached out grabbing ahold of the limp form pulling him close. Scales resting against the offending cloth as his tail coiled around the man’s legs, keeping an eye out on the gold that glittered along the tips of his shoes as he held him. Dragging him further into the dark abyss below. Calling on the dragons Hanzo let his voice ring out, singing a soft melody that would relax even the most bull-headed of people.

 _“Oh weary traveler whose heart is heavy…_ _  
_ _sinking further to the ocean’s floor_

 _Let the waves wash you away_  
_the dragon consuming your fears_ _  
_ in return for something entirely new…”

His hands greedily reached up, wrapping around the tanned throat that was so graciously offered to him, letting the song lull the lumbering oaf to a dreamless sleep as he worked on taking the mortals memories. With each note of his melody, he could begin to feel, the dragons purred their approval at the back of his mind.

 _He could feel the warmth of the sun beating down on his skin,_  
_gunshots started up, sounding like loud cracks of thunder,_  
_blood pooled under his hands, please make it stop_ _  
_ not another one, not him-

Cold washed over his body cutting off the flood of emotion, emptiness wrapping its cruel hands around his soul and _squeezing_ , knocking the very air out of his gills as he fought for breath. Not even the fading warmth of the human’s body could be felt, nor the lingering memories. Anger began to rise up, replacing whatever emotions he had felt, the storm only raged harder overhead.

**It hadn’t worked.**

Hanzo roared his frustration as he squeezed the man’s throat as if that would somehow help or would give him answers to whatever the hell had just happened. Nails dug into the soft flesh underhand, slowly oozing blood into the water. The memories had been snatched away from his grasp. It _always_ worked, the dragons had never failed him before! Yet the spirits only continued to purr, mocking his failure.

Letting go of that now cold throat his nails tore at the ridiculous outfit, how _dare_ this mortal. Whatever had broken the spell had something to do with this man, this stupid human that had got the dragon’s attention and brought him here.

It was all his fault. He wanted to know _WHY_ he wanted to know _HOW_ he wanted - no none of that would matter if this man died. With another screech of anger, he began the journey home, dragging the frail form behind him, the dragons would keep him alive throughout the trip.

He would get his answers.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one wasn't part of the original story so hopefully the writing flows together.


	3. Into the Dragon's lair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of information about this fic, this story takes place a fantasy world different from ours, I literally took the word AU and ran with it. King's and Queens rule over the lands in different kingdoms fighting for control, pirates haunt the oceans in search of treasure, and of course mythical creatures roam the world hidden from view.
> 
> Most things have been changed to fit the story but over all I tried to keep as much of the Overwatch world as true to it as I could, the time period this was inspired on was more medieval/western in approach. It's weird I'll admit, but I will try to explain things as I go.
> 
>  
> 
> Special thanks to Weremutt for beta reading this story!

_ Eyes followed from the darkness within the abyss, eyes were windows to the soul showing everything and hiding nothing. But those were windows you did not want to stare to long into without becoming lost, drowning in that emptiness. Staring down those fears made them real, made them take form, because sometimes the scariest thoughts are the most realistic ones to be afraid of. Lost within those soulless eyes, there was no hope, for what do you do within the darkness without a light? _

_ \--- _

 

_ The soft press of rough lips against his before the inevitable end, powerful gusts of wind sending everything spiralling out of control as the storm raged on, the looming fear pressing all around him becoming a cage of his own creation.  _

_ A dark maw opening up below him, searching, taking, consuming. Jagged teeth tearing, breaking, carving out a new path. _

_ Two pairs of oceanic eyes opening, staring, watching.  _

_ He needed to breathe - _

_ But he couldn’t. _

_ \--- _

Being shot multiple times throughout his life as well having some those wounds treated on the field was without a doubt the worst feelings Jesse has ever experienced within his meager existence, waking up with a massive hangover with a gun pressed against his forehead came in a close second. But that was all before he found himself waking up on the cold rocky floor, looking up at the dark expanse above whatever hellhole his drunken self had managed to stumble into. Upon initially waking up he was aware of a few things, his throat burned as if he had been swallowing molten hot metal for hours on end without relief, his lungs were on fire, aching like they had been crushed during the last shootout, like he had…

Like he had almost  _ died. _

That thought sprung out from that dark unseen part of his mind, the previous events hitting him like a mountain of bricks. Tears began to well up at the corner of his eyes, a single one rolling down his salt covered cheek. A choked noise escaped past his aching throat in a painful exhale of air-

He was supposed to be  _ dead. _

That night Jesse had left the confines of Deadlocks most recent haunts in a drunken haze, too stupid to realize the darkness clawing at the edges of his thoughts, driving him towards the ocean. The sight of those dull, soulless eyes of innocent children haunting him with each heavy step towards the cliffs, they begged to know why he hadn’t stopped his comrades from slaughtering them down like livestock, demanding to know why they had died when they had done nothing wrong in this lifetime. Hell he was wondering the answer to those questions himself. Deadlock was a notoriously foul pirate group, well known to the underbellies of cities and towns as well as across the seas, dealing with unsavory characters with deep pockets and higher ups that had no care for human life, innocent or otherwise. Mainly dealing in weapons but occasionally hired to do someone else's dirty work.

Footfalls fell on deaf ears as his feet took him closer to the cliffside, salt within the ocean breeze stinging his already watery eyes. Nagging thoughts continued to drag the mercenary further down into that endless depressive cycle, question after question demanding his attention taking it further away from the nearing edge overlooking the restless waves below that were calling his name like the whispers of a lover. In the end, nothing mattered, no one cared about the lost soul crying out for help in a dark alcove, trapped in a bad situation unable to escape, his life was meaningless within the grand scheme of things. The cycle of bad thoughts continued on and on, each more harsh than the previous turn.

At long last he had stood on the edge, eyes searching the dark water beneath the cliffside, searching for something, anything to change his mind from this course of action. But there was none, the gods didn’t care about some lowlife criminal who still held out hope for change. Blood pounded in his ears as adrenaline mixed with the alcohol coursing through his veins.

What would happen if he just suddenly disappeared?

Nothing would happen and that’s what bugged him the most, the world wouldn’t change, no one would probably even notice or care that he wasn’t around anymore.

_ His soul ached. _

What finally pushed him to take that final step over the edge was a fleeting moment of hopelessness, desperation and emptiness. He just wanted to feel alive and free for one moment. And in the end, sinking further down into the abyss where even his darkest thoughts couldn’t follow….he wanted to live. Jesse McCree wanted to survive. There was still so much he wanted to see, people who counted on him whether or not they even knew his name, lives he had sworn to protect at any cost. After all if all the good men in all of the kingdoms who still believed there was goodness in the world fell off the edge….who would be left to save those innocent lives who didn’t know better then to blindly trust those in higher power? And there was still that little house on the prairie he wanted to build, that small little farm tucked out of the way where he could go sit outside and watch the horses roam wild and free, untamed spirits unbroken by the weight of the world. A place he could be happy. 

Nonetheless it was quite clear his attempt had failed, landing him here- wherever  _ here _ was.

Sensations from the world outside of his own head began filtering in, taking Jesse out of his own thoughts for a moment. He immediately became aware of a few things. Damp clothing clung to his body like a second layer of skin, making the hard rocky ground beneath his body feel like ice. Rocks dug into his back making everything even more uncomfortable, the cold had caused the already sore muscles to seize up for however long he had been laying there unconscious.

He felt like  _ utter shit _ and everything was extremely  _ cold _ .

A grunt echoed in the cavern as Jesse forced himself up, bones creaking loudly in protest at the action. Eventually with as much determination as he could manage he sat up on the floor, grimacing at the muscle spasm in his lower back, he was getting too old for this crap. Blinking a few times to chase away unshed tears Jesse’s breath was taken away by the awe inspiring sight before him.

Massive piles of golden coins and silver trinkets littered the cavern floor across from him, each taller than his body and stacked by a careful hand. Gemstones glittered under the light from the algae glowing on the cave walls, casting beautiful rays of color all along the floor illuminating them within the darkness. Trinkets ranging from decorative jewelry and platters all the King's own stash to more mundane ones like old polished weapons probably thrown overboard during pirate clashes, as well as pearls and other odds and ends you could probably find along the ocean floor. Each piece was meticulously cleaned and cared for, he couldn’t spot a single barnicle or discoloration within the metals. The sight was an image straight out of every pirates and mercenary captains wet dream when plundering forgotten locations. 

His immediate instinct was to grab as much as he could in order to stuff his pockets as he stumbled forward to get a closer glance at the treasure. Instead he suppressed that animalistic urge to take, not wanting to destroy or mess up the carefully organized piles someone had clearly taken the time to do, instead he was just filled with awe, not wanting to take his eyes off the sight before him.

Jesse didn’t even notice the water behind him, or the narrowed eyes that followed his every movement.

Holding his breath in fear of disturbing the masterpiece in front of him, he slowly reached a careful hand out to feel along the metal of a decorative sword, the leather wasn’t even cracking that badly from the salt in the air.

A loud  _ plop _ caused Jesse to yank his hand away, the sword falling down the mountain of gold coins at the sudden movement. Jerking his head around there was a moment of pure fear as he spotted a something rising out of the pool of water at the edge of the cave.

A human like figure rose up from the almost crystal clear water, an imposing form when he took into account that it wasn’t exactly human  _ sized _ . The creature practically dwarfed him. Pale skin practically glittered within the light coming from the bioluminescent algae on the walls and under the water bathing the masculine figure in an light blue glow. Long silky black hair framed that nearly pearlescent face, the strands were so dark in color that it almost looked blue. Pale lips drew back to reveal sharp dagger like fangs that could very well rival those of a shark, they accented the terrifyingly long claws jutting out from the large hands placed on the edge of the pool very well.

But what captured his attention the most were the bright blue eyes that seemed to stare into his very soul.

A creature of terrifying legend was before him, one with such defined beauty and a voice that could charm sailors to their watery grave, murdering and taking the souls of those near the cliffs.

A  _ siren. _

Jesse’s face fell as he stumbled back against the pile of gold coins to escape the figures reach. A loud hiss shook him to his very core.

McCree never really believed in the various legends of inhuman creatures roaming across the lands and seas. Graceful mermaids luring people into the sea with their sheer unrivaled beauty to be their lover, nymphs and druids guarding over forests and protecting the creatures within, werewolves running amuck within cities maiming and killing those unlucky enough to be walking late at night, harpies soaring along the winds in search of prey. Supernatural creatures just didn’t exist, they just  _ didn’t _ . Yet here was one in the flesh, a siren straight out of a sailors tale. He had just chalked it up to alcohol or the imagination playing tricks on unsuspecting people by making them think a figure was there.

The siren hauled itself out of the water, dragging the long fishlike appendage behind it’s hulking form as the creature approached him. Despite his fear there was a certain aura of power and beauty surrounding the more masculine siren.

Holding his breath, Jesse could only pray that it didn’t slice him up or eat him alive within the next few minutes. But within that moment, there was something familiar about him, a brief moment of consciousness while he was drowning.

“You...you saved me didn’t ya? Plucked me right out of the ocean that night."

After finally having found his voice Jesse took a small pleasure in seeing the surprise plastered on the creatures handsome face. The siren must have expected a completely different response for he seemed to stop and look at him with suspicion.

"Mighty kind of ya for keeping' me alive, guess I should be thanking you"


End file.
